Until I get a better handle on reading Japanese characters, there will be a lot of these kinds of posts. I do not know the name of this restaurant, I only know it was a tonkatsu restaurant.

Tonkatsu is basically pork. It is a style of cooking pork (ie., a cutlet breaded and fried, served on a bed of rice with a special sauce), but this restaurant specialized in all kinds of pork dishes, including pork udon soup and Okinawa pig foot soba soup. I got a grilled pork set lunch.

My bento lunch. I got to choose between brown and white rice (I picked brown) and got some pickles (cabbage and plum in this case), miso soup and a traditional tonkatsu accompaniment, shaved raw cabbage. It also came with hot oolong tea. Cost was about 700 Yen.

Adorable pig mascots greet you when you enter.

The food was good – not incredible, but good. I look forward to finding a special pork restaurant I can make my own on Okinawa. Pork is probably the most prevalent meat available, and they pride themselves on their pigs. Mimiga (pigs ear) and tebichi (pig foot) are very common and I have already tried both. I am unsure if they were on the menu at this restaurant, but they probably were.

The restaurant is on the main floor of Naha San-A Main Place, beside the Italian restaurant, up the way from Starbucks.

Star bucks is everywhere. Honestly, it doesn’t sound very good. But, that is cheap, isn’t it. 8-9 dollars Canadian? I thought restaurants there were really expensive – even this kind. Good information.

on 14 Sep 2010 at 12:23 am kelly

Valerie – No, restaurants are plentiful and cheap. This is kind of the equivalent of eating at maybe a Moxies at the mall or something, I guess? Cheaper, I suppose. And not as try hard.

This is a pretty typical Japanese meal, though. Tonkatsu is really popular on Okinawa.

There are, of course, higher end places. I went to an izakaya this weekend that was gorgeously styled and had great food. The meal was paid for by someone else, but I believe it was about $30 a person. Still really reasonable given the quality of food we were eating.

on 24 Sep 2010 at 3:18 pm Evan

Do they have coffee jelly at the Starbucks in Japan? I never went while i was there, but while i was working in Cebu i wouldn’t have an iced latte without it.

Awe man…I miss Japanese Tonkatsu a bunch but about half as much as I miss the two of you kicking around here.

I’m glad that you’re keeping the blog going. It gives me more drive to come for a visit.

I hope all is going well.

EZ,

Evan

on 26 Sep 2010 at 8:07 pm Kelly

Yes! They DO have coffee jelly in Japan as well as yuzu green tea and a few other regional drinks that are a serious treat.

I thought of you the other day when we were eating steaming hot fresh takoyaki, Evan. As Mike says, this place is serious Evan Heaven.